


The Screenshot

by Lisamc21



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: First Kiss, JUST KISS ALREADY, M/M, Pining like it's going out of style, Screenshots, The Rosebud Motel has terrible internet, facetime shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:55:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26091502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisamc21/pseuds/Lisamc21
Summary: When you see a perfectly timed screenshot, sometimes you just gotta write a quick fic about it. I had fun drafting this wee thing yesterday. Bless these awkward guys for the endless inspiration for how we can write them to their first kiss.Dedicated toDeenerannfor being simply the best. And for sending me all the good stuff.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 50
Kudos: 214





	The Screenshot

“David, your internet sucks. Where are you?” Patrick propped his iPhone against the ice bucket in his Toronto hotel room.

“How do you know it’s not _your_ internet?” David glared, and the screen froze for a moment.

Patrick nearly took a screenshot to send to David. He’d hate it. “Because I haven’t had any internet issues until _you_ FaceTimed _me_.” He smiled to himself. He’d only been away from the store for a couple of days for the province’s small business management seminar, but he’d still managed to see David every day. Most of the time, David had initiated their calls, but Patrick had caved a time or two himself. 

“Excuse you. The Rosebud Motel internet—” pause “—able and—” pause “—my ass.”

Covering his mouth with his palm, he laughed against his fingers. “I only caught about half of that. How’d it go today?”

David rolled his eyes. The video froze again. He was so tempted to take a series of screenshots and turn it into a collage. David would absolutely murder him. Maybe he could get a calendar made for the store. Twelve months of awkward David Rose. That’s the kind of teasing business partners and friends could do, right? 

“Why are you laughing?” The video froze with David’s huge eyebrows pushed together.

“Nothing.” He chuckled.

“Whatever. Day was good. We need to restock the toner. Alexis upsold some teens on it to fix their T-zones.”

“You let Alexis hang out with you today? You must really miss me.” Patrick had been more brazen with his flirty comments while he worked up the courage to tell David how he felt about him. Though, a big part of him hoped David would make the first move. Deep down, he knew David wouldn’t. His business partner had been burned too many times to make a go with someone he genuinely cared about. And Patrick knew David cared about him, even if it was platonically. But those unguarded moments when he caught David fondly watching him, catching desire in his eyes when Patrick lifted something heavy, or when David let a genuine smile through? Patrick hung all his hope on those moments.

He may be new to his identity as a gay man, but he’d had experience being desired before and he could read the signs. 

David bit the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, yeah. I just miss bossing you around. You’re back Thursday?”

Patrick let his smile grow. David knew exactly when he’d be back. They’d covered Patrick’s conference schedule several times and talked through how David would manage all of his meals while running the shop solo. He had to cover through lunch on Wednesday. Patrick had even left a copy of his itinerary behind. “I’ll be back Friday.”

“What? Since when! You said Thursday!”

Patrick just smirked at him. David glared back, but grin finally showed some teeth. Oh yeah, they were flirting. 

“How’s the conf—” The video froze again, but this time David’s eyes were closed, mouth open, and his head tilted back. Extra stubble from a day’s worth of growth covered his neck. Patrick wanted to rub his face against it. He looked… he looked… fucking hot. He looked like someone was on their knees in front of him and giving him the blowjob of a lifetime. 

_Fuck._

Patrick fumbled for his phone and pressed the two buttons together to take a screenshot. He didn’t think. He just reacted. He needed to keep that image. It would sustain him. At least until he could bring that reaction from David in the flesh, if he were lucky enough to make that a reality. He wanted to give David the blowjob of a lifetime. 

“What happened? Why am I moving?” The image shifted to David grimacing. “Are you trying to make me motion sick?”

“No, um. No. There was a bug on my phone. Sorry.” Patrick’s voice had dropped an octave.

“Ew. It wasn’t a moth, was it?”

“Nope. Something with, an, um, milky exoskeleton.” He didn’t even know what he was saying. With shaky fingers, he reached for his bottle of water. 

“Must have been nasty. You look weird?”

“Thanks.” Patrick kept his voice flat. Shit. His body felt flushed and wired, as though he were plugged directly into an amp.

David leveled one of his looks at Patrick that said, “you know what I mean, shut up.”

Patrick’s heart pounded. Did it alert David that he took a screenshot? If it had, David would have said something about it. Right?! He waited, but David complained about Roland’s lengthy visit to the store and said nothing about a screenshot. Thank God. Patrick let out a breath and tried to act normal.

David eventually signed off to go grab dinner. Patrick stared at his phone for several minutes. He wanted to see the image but was also completely terrified of it. What would he do with it? His cock twitched. 

Picking up his phone, he held it in front of his face to unlock it. He tapped the photo app icon and David stared back at him. Well, not at him, since his eyes were closed and tilted toward the ceiling. Patrick’s cock twitched again. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his jeans as he looked at the screenshot. 

A thousand images assaulted Patrick’s mind. Kissing his way up David’s stubbled neck. Nipping at his bottom lip. Running his fingers through David’s coiffed hair. Kissing down his black sweater and running his hands underneath to feel his chest hair. Unbuttoning his jeans and freeing his cock. Taking it into his mouth. Oh, God. Patrick was fully hard now. 

Propping his phone back against the ice bucket, he undid his jeans, licked his palm, and jerked himself off. He oscillated between staring at the image of David and closing his eyes to imagine David making that face for real because of what Patrick was doing to him. 

Thank God for shitty Rosebud Motel internet. 

Patrick came faster than he had in a long time. It was bad enough to come thinking about his business partner and the faces he’d maybe make during sex—something he did with alarming frequency these days—but quite another to see a likely version of it in the form of a perfectly timed freeze frame. 

Once he’d cleaned himself up, Patrick felt a bit sick to his stomach. He’d taken a screenshot of David then jerked off to it. He didn’t have the balls to tell the man how he felt about him, but somehow it was okay to use an image of him to get off? Jesus. Patrick needed to tell David how he felt.

David might not feel the same, and Patrick might have to continue resorting to imagining David as he got off. But what if David felt the same and Patrick could show him just how much he liked him? Again and again and again.

* * * 

David spent several extra minutes on styling his hair, and he felt like a fucking idiot about it. Patrick had seen him a hundred times, at least. He knew what David’s hair looked like when it was perfect in the morning, at the end of a long day of working in the store, caught in the rain, even fresh out of the shower that one time Patrick dropped off a coffee on his way to do a vendor run. But they hadn’t seen each other in _days_ and, well, David missed him. He wanted to look good. Feel good. 

He walked to the store and glanced at his phone. Guess he had missed Patrick a lot because his ETA to the store was about twenty minutes before it even opened. Patrick would see right through it. He nearly diverted his path toward Café Tropical to pass some time, but no. He wanted to see Patrick. He was so screwed. 

Maybe today was the day he’d find the strength to tell Patrick how he felt. The same pep talk he’d given himself every day for the past month as he walked to work. The first few times Stevie and Alexis had insisted Patrick felt the same as David did, he refused to believe them. How could perfect Patrick Brewer give someone like David the time of day? But over time, as they worked together and built their store, David had let his mind wonder. When he caught Patrick smiling at him or bringing him a coffee without asking or dealing with the vendors he knew David didn’t like, he wondered. There had been so many moments where he thought one of them would kiss the other, but neither had gone for it. Either David had completely lost his ability to tell when someone was attracted to him, or he was so goddamn in his head about it he couldn’t think straight.

It could be that Patrick was just super friendly, but if that were the case, wouldn’t he act like that around Stevie and Alexis? Ugh. He hated that they had gotten into his head and had him fantasizing that Patrick liked him too. “Like” felt like too soft of a word for how David felt, but he wasn’t ready to deal with that.

Once he reached the store, he looked in the window and watched Patrick doing something at the counter. A purple button-up? Ooooh la la. Patrick glanced up and the wide smile that took over his whole damn face. David’s knees went weak. Get a grip. 

He opened the door and strode in. Patrick moved to the front of the counter. Should he hug him? This was the first time he and Patrick had been apart from each other for more than a day since they went into business together. But they’d only hugged once. That first almost-kiss moment after they closed on opening day.

“Welcome back.” David smiled.

“You’re here early. Couldn’t wait to see my face, huh?” Patrick’s smile was cheeky and David fucking loved it. That smile haunted his dreams.

David walked around Patrick to drop his bag in the back room. “Nah, I just knew you’d want to see mine as soon as possible.” If he let Patrick see him say that, he knew Patrick would see the fondness written all over it. David’s poker face was abysmal, particularly around Patrick.

He spotted a box on their two-person table. “What’s the box for?”

“You.”

David gave a shoulder shimmy as he turned around. “For me?”

Patrick’s smile widened. “You thought I’d go out of town and not bring you something? Come on, David. I know you better than that.” He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest.

David ran a finger across the top of the pink box. “You look good in purple, by the way.” He glanced back at Patrick. His teasing smirk had turned sweet. His cheeks were in the same color family as the box. David pulled the flap up and spotted several sugary goodies. “Nanaimo bars?” 

Patrick stepped into the room. “From that bakery you mentioned.”

David closed his eyes for a second to savor the moment. Patrick Brewer was the world’s most thoughtful person. He’d made a comment about the bakery in passing, weeks ago, when Patrick had mentioned signing up for the seminar in Toronto. Of course Patrick had remembered and made time to stop there. “Are these all for me or am I expected to share?”

One of Patrick’s eyebrows arched. A mannerism he’d picked up from being around David so much. “My box of goodies is at home. These are all yours.”

He loved this man. Could love him. Definitely could love him someday.

David broke a piece off one, and a moan escaped as soon as he took a bite. “Fuck, that’s good.” He lowered his fingers to break off another piece and glanced at Patrick. His pupils had widened, and his mouth hung open a bit. David couldn’t look away. 

Maybe it was the sugar rush, or maybe it was the way Patrick looked wrecked as he watched David. Whatever the reason, David decided to be bold. See if Patrick maybe, possibly was attracted to David. He broke off a piece and brought it to Patrick’s mouth. “You gotta try it. It’s perfection.”

Patrick opened his mouth, but his attention remained laser-focused on David’s eyes. David glanced down at Patrick’s mouth and watched as his lips brushed David’s fingertips. He felt the briefest hint of Patrick’s tongue against his thumb, and that millisecond of contact went right to his dick. Probably a bad move to have gone with his tighter jeans that morning. Patrick checked him out the most in those jeans, statistically speaking, but they wouldn’t do a damn thing to hide a semi.

“Mm. That is good.” Patrick slowly licked his lower lip.

David leaned forward to follow the path his hand had taken moments before. Patrick leaned forward too.

The bell over the front door chimed.

“Fuck.” David straightened. Shit. Had he said that aloud?

Patrick groaned, but dutifully turned around and walked to the front. The moment broken.

Their morning fell into a familiar pattern after that as a steady stream of customers came through. David barely had a moment to himself to freak the hell out over their almost kiss. The Nanaimo bars sat untouched in the back room.

When there was finally a lull in customers, David leaned against the counter and glanced at Patrick. He wanted to march over, spin him around, grab him by the shoulders, and kiss his breath away. But instead, he just admired his ass in that mid-range denim as Patrick re-merchandised the cat hair scarves.

“Were you still looking for a photographer with black and white rural landscapes?”

David blinked and tried to focus on what Patrick said. “Um, yeah. Why?” 

Patrick turned back to him. “I saw someone’s work in Toronto and I really liked it. I took photos of some prints to show you. Is this what you’re thinking?” Patrick walked over to join David at the counter. 

David shifted over to make room for Patrick and planted his forearms on the counter. Patrick pulled his phone from his pocket and opened the “favorites” folder in his photos app. 

“What do you think?” He handed his phone to David, then dropped his own arms on the counter. Their shoulders were almost touching.

David made the first image full size. A covered bridge over a narrow river. “That’s lovely.” It had a quaint, rural charm about it. He slid his thumb across the screen. 

“I like the barn in this one.”

“Mm.” It was all David could manage with Patrick standing so close to him. He smelled like the sandalwood soap they’d started carrying recently. David had mentioned once he really liked the smell of it.

David flipped through a couple more photos. “This is a great find. It fits our aesthetic nicely. Do you want to reach out or want me—” He froze. The next photo wasn’t of a print at all. It was David looking like he was in the midst of an orgasm.

Patrick snatched his phone back. “Fuck. Oh fuck.” He looked up at David. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates. 

“Um. What was that? How did you get that?” David whispered. His mind raced and heart pounded. It felt like he was leaving his body. 

“Nothing. It’s nothing. Just, um, the screen kept freezing the other night when we were talking so I thought I’d take a screenshot. You know, as a joke.” Patrick’s face was beet red. 

All David could do was stare at him and blink. He knew the internet had been shitty, but of all the possible frozen expressions… “A joke? Did you plan to tell me about this joke or just keep the picture in your _favorites_ folder?” David’s mind was practically steaming as he tried to think of a plausible explanation for that photo that didn’t have anything to do with Patrick taking a picture because it looked like David was getting off. 

He couldn’t think of a single reason. Not. A. One.

“Patrick.” David took a step closer to him.

Patrick blinked up at him like an owl. His chest rose and fell in short bursts. “What?” Patrick’s voice was barely audible. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

David moved closer. Gave Patrick a chance to turn away, run away, flee. He didn’t. He moved in. “Patrick, why did you take that screenshot? Why did you keep it?”

Patrick’s tongue darted out and licked his lips. “Because you looked so fucking ho—”

David was on him. Hands pulling his face close, grabbing his shoulders, rubbing his side. Patrick’s hands wrapped around David’s waist and pulled him closer from the small of his back. His hands were strong, firm, demanding, but they didn’t hold a candle to his lips. His lips were soft, tender. David had never experienced a kiss like it. It felt like he was burning up from the inside and the only thing that could stop the flames was Patrick’s tongue, lips, hands. Patrick. Just Patrick.

The front bell chimed. 

David jumped back.

“We’re closed!” Patrick yelled. His eyes and hands still firmly on David. 

“I’ll come back tomorrow. Sorry, boys.”

David heard a smile in Jocelyn’s voice, and the familiar sound of the open sign clanging against the glass when it’s flipped. 

“I’ve wanted to do that every day for months.” Patrick stared at David. Instead of feeling exposed, David leaned into it. The open warmth and desire Patrick so freely expressed was like a drug.

“Me too. What took us so long?” The thousands of kisses they’d missed settled in David’s gut, gnawing at him.

Patrick stepped against David. “We’re idiots, but at least we got here eventually.”

David felt his smile go wide. “Yeah, we did.” He draped his arms over Patrick’s shoulders. A move he’d fantasized about a million times. “I suppose I should thank Stevie for her unwillingness to upgrade the Rosebud Motel WiFi? Or, your quick thinking and fingers? Or that you forgot you’d saved that photo on your phone when you handed it to me?”

Patrick’s face turned red again, but he didn’t look away. His boldness shot a jolt of energy down David’s spine. 

“You could thank all of those things.” He kissed David’s neck, then rubbed his cheek against the stubble, almost like it’s something he’d been fantasizing about. He wanted to compare notes about what they’d been wanting to do to each other. They could make a spreadsheet and work through it. Systematically. Deliberately. 

David had spent a lot of time thinking about Patrick’s ass and couldn’t wait to squeeze it, but he’d save that. Maybe for tomorrow. Because they had tomorrow. 

“I know the internet froze a bunch. Did you take other screenshots?”

The shade of red deepened as Patrick shook his head. “Nope. Just the one.”

“Mm. Why that one? I’m sure I made a lot of funny faces. I always do.” David bit the corner of his mouth.

Patrick closed his eyes for a moment, as though trying to summon the patience to deal with David’s teasing. “I think you know why I saved that one.”

David let his fingertips play with Patrick’s short hair. “I don’t think I do. I mean, you can’t even see my eyes. I’ve been told my eyes are one of my best features.”

Patrick groaned. “Are you going to make me say it?”

David nodded. Thrilled with this new power, knowing Patrick liked him back. That Stevie and Alexis were right. Ugh. They would be insufferable later.

Patrick’s hands were firm on David’s hips as he pulled David flush against his own body. He stared into David’s eyes. “Because every day, for a long time, I’ve thought about every possible way I can get you to make that face. And once I saw it with my eyes instead of in my head, I had to keep it.” His hands slid down into David’s back pockets. “To tide me over until I could see it in person.”

David squeaked. Patrick: 1. David: 0.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm over on Tumblr at [lisamc-21](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lisamc-21).


End file.
